As Puri gears up for the world-famous Rath Yatra — the grand Car Festival of Lord Jagannath — Indian Railways has announced a thoughtful initiative to ensure devotees travel comfortably and reach the holy city without any hassle.
To manage the expected surge in pilgrims, the Railways will operate a pair of dedicated Rath Yatra Special Express Trains between Gondia Junction in Maharashtra and Puri in Odisha on select dates in July 2026.
Train No. 08801 Gondia Jn–Puri Rath Yatra Special Express will depart Gondia Junction at 13:30 hrs on 2, 9, 16 and 29 July 2026 (four trips) and reach Puri at 10:00 hrs the next day.
The return service, Train No. 08802 Puri–Gondia Jn Rath Yatra Special Express, will depart Puri at 13:00 hrs on 3, 10, 17 and 30 July 2026 and arrive at Gondia Junction at 07:00 hrs the following morning.
These special trains will stop at key stations in both directions: Dongargarh, Rajnandgaon, Durg, Raipur, Lakholi, Khariar Road, Kantabanji, Titlagarh, Balangir, Bargarh Road, Sambalpur, Angul, Talcher Road, Dhenkanal, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Khurda Road.
Each train features a comfortable mix of coaches — two Luggage-cum-Divyang Friendly Coaches, four General Second Class, ten Sleeper Class, three AC 3-Tier and one AC 2-Tier — ensuring ample space for families, senior citizens and differently-abled devotees.
Passengers are requested to plan their journeys in advance and check the latest updates on the National Train Enquiry System (NTES) or through official railway enquiry channels before travelling.
This special service once again reflects Indian Railways’ commitment to supporting religious tourism and making the divine journey to Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra smoother for devotees from across the country.
